A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Hens and Chicks are Taking Over

I looked at the thermometer on the wall ....the temps were just right. I hustled (if an old lady can hustle) and went out the door to get some work done. I decided to take it one garden area at a time. Yesterday I decided to do the little garden by the driveway. I pruned the rose bushes and transplanted a little Rainbow Knockout Rose to this area. I cut down some dried material and picked up a bucket of leaves. Everything looks good except the Dianthus. I decided that after 8 yrs of trying to grow this...I would give up. It was here when I moved here and hasn't looked good each spring. I went to the garage and filled my bucket with soil. I planned to freshen up my pots that hold my hens and chicks and Sedums. I gathered them all and found the little guys in the ground surrounding all of these pots. I dug them up and pulled out the dried material and put these new ones in their place. They looked so nice and fresh. I had them going down the side of the house in a narrow mulched strip last year. I don't think that I will put them back there...they were always full of grass clippings and didn't look nice. I moved them into the garden one at a time.
I was able to roll the strawberry jar into a place that had been reserved for it. I put it up on concrete circles...so the bottom would be protected. It really wasn't hard to do this way. This is going to stay here and not go on the deck. That way no one will have to lift the heavy thing and take it to and from the deck. Audra came home from school about now. I said, "Doesn't everything look fresh and shiny?" She said, "I think one of those shiny hens is smiling at me."
We put the purple chair back in it's place of honor, between two rosebushes. The concrete shell was freshened too. Dried dead hens were removed and new ones put in their places. Fresh soil was sprinkled over the top and we put it in place.
The blue bowl like planter is doing well. The sedums are waking up and thinking about growing. I didn't have to put soil in this one, because I just planted it late last summer.
The fish box that I scavenged from my daughter was tidied up. A new sedum was dug out of the ground next to the box and placed in the middle for color. I'm going to look for something taller and colorful to add to this planter.
In the last picture you can see some of the little garden. Before long the Mum plant in the foreground will be bigger, the purple Sage will grow tall and blossom it's purple blossoms, the rose bushes will be in bloom, the Mandevilla will begin it's climb to the porch rail with bright pink blooms...I can hardly wait.

Balisha

7 comments:

Jean said...

Good Morning...the sun is shining here today! woo hooo!
Dianthus I have found like alkaline soil. My soil is acid and they do not make it very well. Try adding a little lime where they are planted. They also like sun too. See if any of that works!

Barbee' said...

Whew! I think you got very much done that day! As our kids would say: You were on a roll!

Margie's Musings said...

Good for you, Balisha! I've been working in my yard too.

Balisha said...

Thanks for the tips, Jean.Glad the sun was shining for you...Balisha

Balisha said...

Hi Barbee and Margie...Lots to do this time of the year. The secret is pacing yourself as we get older. I worked out there today too. Balisha

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Balisha,

I have moved my dianthus twice already but up in Wisconsin it does great. I have alkaline soil so we'll see if my last move works.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

I have a stone jar like yours. Mine is very heavy, too. Even has rocks inside it. My son and both my daughters were here last spring and I wanted the jar moved. My son tried to pick it up and said he was afraid he was going to hurt his back. One of the girls walked over, picked it up and carried it all over the yard by herself. My girls are as strong as most men from working with horses and on their farm. It was really quite funny!